Fairford (RAF)

1Threshold 27

The place 'us guys' usually visit first: is anything present on the transient ramp? Plus, a great overview of the final approach for runway 27. Many a photo has been taken here.

2Dunfield

From spot 1, keep the airfield on your right-hand side, and look right every now and then: you may spot a tail or an aircraft you did not see before, hidden behind one of the smaller buildings on the eastern ramps. Among the small group of houses called Dunfield, spot 2 is a nice place to watch the proceedings on the field. It has great views of both taxi tracks and runway.

3Gate 12

This is a great place to shoot departing aircraft, either in the air (Runway 27) or on the runway (Runway 09), as long as you bring steps. Quite a lot of steps, in fact! The fence is about 2,5 meters high here, so be prepared. There are some holes in gates and fences, but these are often too small for the present-day lenses. Of course, when 27 is in use, this spot is also interesting for aircraft rolling out after landing, and you will need less steps (i.e., none) for aircraft already airborne.

4Western end

If runway 09 is in use, the road between Marston Meysey and Meysey Hampton can be used to get nice shots (side on, head on, underside), depending on the exact spot you are. Be reminded: not many lay-bys are available, make sure you find a decent spot and walk a little bit.

5The North

With the sun in your face, this probably is not the best place for the photographers among us, although in the afternoon aircraft turning onto the northern taxi track will make for some interesting shots. All activity on the runway can easily be monitored from here.

6Whelford

From this spot, it is possible to get some views of aircraft parked in such a way that identifying them from other spots is hard.